Eating out Cheatsheet What to drink during a night out Cheatsheet Travel and on-the-go diet Cheatsheet

25 Jan Maintaining Brainpower on a Low Calorie Diet

Maintaining Brainpower on a Low Calorie Diet When we are trying to build muscle, we have to cut back on calories intermittently to get the great muscle definition we want. The problem with cutting back is that our brains need energy to function. There is no point in trading defined muscles for a fuzzy brain – but if we are not careful, that is exactly what can happen.

When our brains do not work at high capacity, we cannot achieve the standards of excellence we set for ourselves. The question is how we can build muscle while also giving our brains what they need to do what they need to do. Can we reach high levels of physical performance and mental performance at the same time?

The answer is yes. There are some easy diet hacks you can use that will keep your calorie intake low while also giving your brain the fuel it needs to work at maximum capacity.

Diet Trick #1: Coconut Oil

The first diet trick involves taking coconut oil in small doses throughout the day. When you eat a low-calorie diet, your blood sugar drops about two hours after you eat. Your brain needs that sugar to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the chemical that makes your body burn fat instead of muscle. It also keeps your brain clear and alert.

Coconut oil helps your brain and body in two major ways. First, it is made up mostly of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are healthy saturated fat. Unlike other fats, MCTs can be immediately used as energy. That makes them different from long-chain triglycerides, which put a burden on your digestive system and liver. Eating coconut oil gives your brain an energy boost. It also helps your body manufacture extra ATP to burn fat faster.

The second way coconut oil helps is that it reduces your body’s levels of cortisol. What is cortisol? It is a hormone that your body releases when you experience stress. The bottom line is that your body interprets a low-calorie diet as a kind of psychological stress and produces cortisol as a result.

Cortisol is not always bad. If you are in danger, cortisol works with adrenaline to provide you with the short-term energy you need to get out of trouble. When it is in your body for a long time, though, it ends up destroying your ability to concentrate. Coconut oil can reduce the amount of cortisol in your body because it is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help improve concentration and focus.

To benefit from coconut oil, eat small amounts of it throughout the day to give your brain a boost and keep your energy levels high.

Diet Trick #2: Bulletproof Coffee

The second diet trick you can use to keep your brain focused on a low-calorie diet is drinking bulletproof coffee. In case you are unfamiliar with it, bulletproof coffee is coffee blended with grass-fed, unsalted butter and MCTs. It might sound weird, but it does some important things for your body.

First, caffeine is a stimulant. When you drink caffeinated beverages, they help wake up your brain and rejuvenate you. Caffeine improves your ability to form long-term memories. It also puts your body into ketosis, a natural fat-burning state that keeps your metabolism cranked up.

Second, the butter in bulletproof coffee helps you feel full. Both the butter and MCTs are high in Omega-3, which keeps you feeling alert and reduces your levels of cortisol. The feeling of fullness helps reduce the psychological stress of being on a low-calorie diet. The MCTs also provide your body with immediate energy.

The bottom line is that bulletproof coffee wakes up your brain, keeping it alert and sharp and increasing the chances that you will remember the information you take in down the line. It also keeps you feeling full and satisfied, curbs cravings, and helps your body burn fat.

Diet Trick #3: Ashwaganda Supplement

The third and final diet trick to try is to take a supplement of Ashwaganda Root. Ashwaganda is a root that has been used for millennia in Ayurvedic Medicine, a form of natural healing that has its roots in India. It is known for its restorative properties, and it helps combat fatigue, inflammation, and stress. Taking it provides the body with a boost of energy and the ability to concentrate.

Here is how it works. Ashwaganda is a kind of substance known as an adaptogen. What that means is that it helps balance the biochemicals in your brain and body. Biochemicals play a variety of important roles in the body, helping to regulate your moods, form new connections in the brain, and manage your levels of psychological and physical stress.

The first thing that Ashwaganda does is that it boosts GABA receptors and serotonin, two things that are very important for mental clarity. GABA is a chemical called a neurotransmitter, which helps boost your mood, improve sleep, and relieve anxiety. In terms of fitness, it improves your stamina when you work out and also makes it easier for your body to burn fat and build lean muscles. GABA is also a natural pain reliever, so it can help you to push through pain at the gym.

Another benefit of taking Ashwaganda is that it blocks receptor sites for cortisol, which means that it helps you combat stress and keep your brain clear and focused.

The evidence is that Ashwaganda takes about a week to work, so you should start taking it a week before you cut your calories to get the full benefits. The best supplement to take is one that is between 600 milligrams and 1000 milligrams of Ashwaganda, taken twice a day. It will help you avoid fatigue and hold onto your lean muscle mass while still losing weight.

It is not easy to burn fat and still maintain high brain function, but using these three diet hacks can help you do exactly that. You will get the results you want on a physical level without having to compromise in terms of your mental clarity and energy levels – and that is what we all want!